. >> what sort of impact have you seen here in seattle? >> i think if you pull a group of people together from this community, someone in that group is going to have had a friend or loved one that's had difficulty with a prescription drug or potentially died from that. >> reporter: the unit responds to 45 calls a month of overdoses involving these types of medications. this is important, it can be difficult to tell whether it's a painkiller or heroin because they come from the same ingredient and do the same sort of thing to your body. >> aside from needle tracks in the arms, someone who has had an overdose or heroin they could look the same. >> absolutely. they could be unconscious from a medication that they think is relatively safe for them because instead of getting it it on the street they get it from a pharmacist. >> possible drug overdose. people these are suffering from chronic pain. they know that a little bit of pain medication helps so maybe a lot would help. >> reporter: when we arrive, another medic is on the scene. >> somewhe